1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of medical equipment. More particularly it concerns a fitting for facillitating the calibration of medical lasers to set their outputs to medical or surgical peripheral implements.
2. Description of Prior Art
Surgical techniques employing laser radiation have been in development for several years. Laser beam manipulator implements have been employed as surgical scalpels as illustrated in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,113 of Sharon et al; European Patent Application Ser. No. 75,912 (Published Apr. 6, 1983) of Hitachi, Ltd.; and West German Pat. No. 3105297 of Asaki Kogaku Kogyo. Laser implements can also be used to effect blood coagulation or to cauterize as shown by, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,835 of Koester et al. Laser surgical implements may be macroscale or may be sized for operation under a microscope to perform microsurgery as is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,814 of Togo. As emphasized in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,557, these various techniques have created a need for medical laser systems having varied power levels and peripheral attachments, so that a single laser may be used in performing these various techniques.
It is necessary to precisely measure and control the amount of laser radiation delivered to biological tissues in photo-surgical procedures. The appropriate amount of radiation is known to vary with the technique employed. Systems have been developed to control the intensity and duration of the laser radiation energy applied to the treated tissues. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,215,694 of Isakov et al; 4,122,853 of Smith; as well as commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,557 and EPO Patent Application No. 75,912. Systems such as the Smith system rely on exposure control devices such as shutters and laser power level control circuits.
The need to control the amount of laser radiation delivered to tissues is aggravated when various peripheral implements, having varying optical properties and power requirements, are used in the same system. In such settings it is advisable to calibrate the laser output actually delivered to the peripheral or by the peripheral immediately before using the peripheral implement so as to assure the desired levels. This calibration must be carried out in a manner which does not compromise the sterilty of the peripheral and which does not subject the peripheral to physical damage as that could change the peripheral's output.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,557, which is incorporated herein by reference, shows a laser system in which such calibration of the laser output is carried out by inserting the laser peripheral into a calibration device or senser in which its output can be measured. Such a device is constructed to be relatively insensitive to the exact position of the peripheral in it but nonetheless it is important that the peripheral be inserted into a relatively uniform position. In addition, it is important that the peripheral be inserted in a manner which preserves its sterility by preventing the peripheral from contacting the calibration device. Since the calibration is often carried out during a surgical procedure it is also desirable if the insertion into the calibration device is quick and simple and not an extremely complex or precise operation.
This invention provides a device which facilitates the calibration of peripheral laser surgical implements by simplifying their proper and sterile insertion into a calibration device.